In the premises of the Secours populaire rue Saint Gervais in Périgueux, Orlane fills two large bags of groceries. Cheese, oriental tabbouleh, salad, lemons, coffee, pasta and a grapefruit. And since it’s Christmas, “salmon trout, and cookies”. This mother often goes to the Secours populaire. “At the end of the month, it suits us well”, she confides.
Plush toys and Christmas packages
For many Périgourdins, Christmas is a difficult time. Synonymous with celebration, gifts, and family gatherings, for those who are alone or have little means, associations are mobilized and come to their aid. In addition to food parcels, plush toys are distributed to children, as well as Christmas parcels, concocted by volunteers. Gifts that will make Orlane’s little girl happy. Those who come here are people who do not have many other solutions, so it is important to be there, to bring them comfort, a word, products, even a little what makes them happy and what they need “, explains Thierry, a volunteer with the association for five years. “These are key moments, sensitive moments for families who find themselves alone or in need”, adds Christine Bernard, president of Secours populaire in Dordogne. In Périgord, the 875 volunteers of the association help 12,000 households. The association estimates that because of the Covid, the number of beneficiaries has increased by around 30% this year.